2-Day Country Life Experience

Local Bus Trip in Tokyo

Tour date: 11th~12th April, 2020

[Important Notice]

This tour has been cancelled due to COVID-19 that continues to spread throughout the world.

This area, which is called Nishitama, is a neighborhood located to the west of the metropolitan area in Tokyo. There are mountains, rivers, good old Japanese culture and sound of nature instead of crowds, skyscrapers and bustle of a city. It's a part of a national park.

Day 1 ~Viewing Cherry Blossoms and

Stencil Dyeing Experience~

1. Cherry Blossoms at a bus stop

There are two big weeping cherry trees, known as shidaresakura in japanese, behind the bus stop.
The bright pink-colored flowers along drooping branches beautifully cover a top of the stop in April.
That looks amazing and also totally instagrammable.

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2. Stencil Dyeing Experience

Mr. & Ms. Shigeta remodeled the old traditional Japanese house on the mountain and "Dyehouse Shigeta" have been opened. Depending on the season, different natural materials like flowers and leaves are used as dyestuff.

In this workshop, you will handwrite your own design and cut the stencil into the pattern before dyeing a towel with a brush.
Your work will be a good souvenir for sure!

*We will dye towels, not t-shirts.

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3. Kazumanoyu Hot Spring

A popular public hot spring among the locals and hikers.
That hypotonic alkaline water will beautify your skin.
Jacuzzi, saunas and open-air baths are also available to relax.

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After bathing, we will have a dinner at the restaurant in the in the facility.

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4. Stay at Guesthouse Hembori-doh

This old folk house is located at an elevation of 500 m and has now opened as a guest house to welcome anybody who is interested in an experience of a rural life with others.
The living room is an open space for anybody so that a variety of activities is sometimes held in the space by locals.
It will be a good opportunity to communicate with local people on the mountain.

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Day 2 ~Zazen Meditationand

Walking Countryside~

1. Gyokudenji Temple

We're going to do Zazen Meditation in front of a Zen garden. Zazen is a form of meditation performed in a cross-legged sitting posture. This is practiced in Zen Buddhism to attain the ideal state of supreme enlightenment.

And we will have a rice porridge for breakfast. Monks usually have this after their meditation as a part of the practice.

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2. Ryushuin Temple

The mountain temple was founded in 1363 and the highlight of this temple is spring. Many type of cherry blossoms, azaleas, and rape blossoms bloom and it's just like a flower paradise.

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3. Bathing Foot in Hot Spring

Awarded one of the best hot springs, "Seotonoyu" hot spring is good for your skin as it contains highly alkaline.

Bathing foot in a hot spring gets your whole body warm without taking all your clothes off by promoting blood circulation. There are many nerves in foot as known as a second heart, so you can also expect relaxing and detoxification effects.

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4. Lunch at Local Restaurant

The restaurant offers homemade vegetables on a big plate with beautiful decoration. They also serve very local sake brand Kisho.

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*We will visit other restaurants when this restaurant is not available.